A 5-Star Accredited Chamber of Commerce |
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Today is National Submarine Day! Whether you're living in a yellow one or ordering one at your favorite sandwich shop, we hope you will pause for a second and do a deep dive into what's going on around GNV this week!
(Yikes, we may have sunk to a new low with that pun... but, you guys are usually pretty accommodating- sonar, so good!)
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Subscribe Today!
Ohhhhhhh we're getting fancy around here!! Did you know that we have a YouTube Channel? Did you know that subscribing to our YouTube Channel makes you 100% cooler than if you didn't? We don't make up the facts (okay, maybe *this* time), we just share them!
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UPCOMING EVENT
Home Outlet Ribbon Cutting
Thursday, April 13th
10:30am - 11:30am
2500 N. Main St.
Gainesville, FL 32601
Join us as we welcome Home Outlet to Greater Gainesville!
Home Outlet is one of the three E.C. Barton home improvement brands. Their 100% Employee Owned company, E.C. Barton & Co. began in 1885 out of Jonesboro, Arkansas, which is where their Home Office is still located to this day. At Home Outlet, they sell building materials at the Guaranteed Lowest Price. Windows, Doors, Cabinets, Floors and so much more!
Join us for refreshments, speeches, mingling & more! The ribbon cutting ceremony will commence at 11am.
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UPCOMING EVENT
Jumpstart Your Membership
Tuesday, April 18th
9:00am - 10:00am
Zoom Meeting
Join us for a virtual presentation on your chamber membership! Whether you are a new member or looking to get re-engaged, we are here to share some information & help you get more out of your chamber membership. We will also show how to navigate our online portal for your membership.
Learn more about your membership and meet other Greater Gainesville chamber members.
Your ZOOM link will be sent out the day before the event at 4:30pm.
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UPCOMING EVENT
GGYP: Drop The $#!+ Sandwich
Wednesday, April 12th
12:00pm - 1:15pm
The Collier Companies
220 N. Main Street
Join the Greater Gainesville Young Professionals for their next THRIVE event! This month, they are joined by The Collier Companies. They will be guiding a learning experience focused on changing the conversation. They will teach how to deliver feedback and stay radically candid in the workplace as well as in your life. They will also be teaching to find understanding through different perspective and deliver effective feedback efficiently. Drop your $#!+ sandwiches(aka feedback sandwiches) at the door! No more layered compliment, opportunity, compliment feedback to deliver. The Collier Companies will help you to build your confidence with how to deliver purposeful and beneficial feedback in all your life's relationships.
Lunch will be provided, so this event is $10 per person.
This event is for members of the community that are between the ages of 21-39.
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UPCOMING EVENT
GGYP: Coffee & Conversations
Wednesday, April 26th
8:30am - 10:00am
Swamp Boil
2001 NW 13th St
Gainesville, FL, 32609
Join the Greater Gainesville Young Professionals for Coffee & Conversation!
Coffee & Conversation gives you the opportunity to sit with other young professionals and discuss challenges and successes that you are experiencing in your career. Our members are many different ages (but all young professionals, of course), work in many different industries, have different levels of education & experience and some are entrepreneurs and business owners. No matter who you have the pleasure of chatting with, you're sure to learn something new!
This event is only for members of the community that are between the ages of 21-39.
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Join us on June 2nd for the Annual DRINK GNV Brewery Tour Presented by: ServPro of Gainesville Alachua County West
Guests will meet at Swamp Head Brewing Company at 2:45pm (Parking available). We'll visit all four local brewers including Blackadder, Cypress & Grove, First Magnitude, and Swamp Head. Each guest will receive a seat on the coach bus, a commemorative pint glass, a swag bag, food and beverage (BEER!) at each location and a chance to win prizes.
Space is limited and this event sells out every year so take advantage of the Early Bird pricing available now through April 30th.
For more information and to reserve your seat on the bus:
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Now Accepting Diplomat Applications!
Are you interested in becoming more involved with the Greater Gainesville Chamber? The Chamber Diplomat Committee is now accepting applications for new Diplomats. Chamber Diplomats are a group of representatives from member businesses who volunteer as an active extension of the Greater Gainesville Chamber of Commerce staff.
Their mission is to cultivate, promote and maintain a positive relationship between the Chamber, our members and the community. Chamber Diplomats meet monthly to discuss Chamber updates and volunteer to attend Chamber events to connect, refer, and help ensure every member of the Chamber is getting the assistance they need. Participation in the Chamber Diplomat Committee is open to anyone who has been a Chamber Member for at least one year and is a Member in good standing. To get started with your application, click here.
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Showcase Your Business:
Host a Chamber Event in 2023!
Calling all businesses: hosting a Chamber Business Before Hours or a Business After Hours Event is a great way to build exposure for your company!
These popular series of networking events draw attention from the professional community and are an excellent opportunity to showcase your business to entrepreneurs and customers from across our community. Don’t miss out on this great opportunity to give your business more exposure and to become a familiar face in our community!
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The 2023 Opportunities Book is now available! Take a look and see where you'd like to get involved this year. Partnership opportunities range from joining the Circle of Champions to hosting a Business Before Hours at your location and everything in between! |
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Distinguished Speaker Luncheon featuring U.S. Representative Kat Cammack:
Working for Alachua County
The Chamber hosted U.S. Representative Kat Cammack (R-03) as our first Distinguished Speaker of 2023 on Monday, April 3rd at The Fairfield Inn & Suites. The sold-out crowd heard from the Congresswoman on a few of the issues she is especially focused on, including rural broadband, hometown heroes/first responders, the opioid epidemic, local economic development and education, especially our literacy crisis. She also discussed the importance of the work done behind the scenes on the rules package, the powerful guidelines that dictate how the House operates for the next two years.
A Q&A followed the lively discussion, with our guests interested in the debt ceiling, energy policy, U.S. support for Iran and data security.
The Greater Gainesville Chamber’s Distinguished Speaker Luncheons bring prominent leaders to engage with Chamber members in a small, informal setting. These distinguished leaders–which have included policymakers and leaders at the local, state and national level—provide Chamber members perspectives on a wide range of topics of interest to our community.
Thanks to our 2023 Distinguished Speaker Event Sponsor:
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The Greater Gainesville Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with Florida Institute for Political Leadership (FIPL), an initiative by the Florida Chamber of Commerce, is hosting a virtual Campaign School & Community Leadership Training April 18 - 19, from 5:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. EST each day.
This no-cost and nonpartisan 2-day program is open to everyone and recommended for elected officials, current or future candidates, campaign workers, and anyone interested in serving in an appointed position. As we aim to secure Florida’s Future and move Florida’s economy from 17th largest in the word to 10th largest by 2030, it is necessary to ensure candidates running for office understand the issues facing Florida and our economic future. All campaign training schools will be conducted online.
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Chamber Group Receives Tour of Gainesville's Amazon Distribution Center
On Thursday, April 6, our team and a select group of industry leaders, Chamber colleagues and members of our Economic Development Committee experienced a unique opportunity: we were granted a guided tour of Gainesville’s Amazon Distribution Center, where all of our Amazon packages and purchases are received, sorted, and sent out via carrier for delivery.
Our group walked through what happens from the time a purchase is made online to it being left on our doorstep. The steps these items must go through at the various processing centers, as well as the quality standards that are taken into account prior to the consumer experience, was educating for all. We then got a behind-the-scenes view of the busy warehouse hub, watching the package sorting and the quick-paced, synchronized loading of the Amazon drivers.
Tour guides, Sam Blatt and Lauren Shively, had a few unexpected but highly impressive aspects to share, such as the relaxation and decompression zones fully equipped with massage chairs and therapeutic equipment for their warehouse workers’ well-being. Fitted with a Mother’s Room for nursing and a multi-faith decompression room to ensure inclusivity, this Amazon Center impressed us all with their obvious care and attention to the professional and personal lives of its’ employees.
The thoughtful safety measures and the operational precision of the facility are just a couple of the reasons we are excited to have this valuable employer in our community!
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HCA Florida North Florida Hospital Recognized For 2023 Patient Safety Excellence
HCA Florida North Florida Hospital announced that it has been recognized by Healthgrades as a 2023 Patient Safety Excellence Award™ recipient. This distinction places HCA Florida North Florida Hospital among the top 5% of all short-term acute care hospitals as evaluated by Healthgrades, the leading marketplace connecting patients and providers. HCA Florida North Florida Hospital has also been the recipient of the Healthgrades Patient Safety Excellence Award™ for 4 Years in a Row (2020-2023).
“Maintaining a safe environment for our colleagues and patients is engrained in our hospital culture. It's something we've been proud to foster for 50 years in our community,” said Eric Lawson, chief executive officer of HCA Florida North Florida Hospital. “It’s top of mind for our teams each and every day, and we are proud of the commitments we’ve made to achieve this level of focus around this initiative. We will continue to find ways to further bolster our efforts around our patient safety, because the patient is always at the center of our care.”
During the 2018-2021 study period, 164,592 potentially preventable patient safety events occurred among Medicare patients in U.S. hospitals.* Healthgrades found that just four patient safety indicators accounted for 74% of all patient safety events: hip fracture due to an in-hospital fall, collapsed lung resulting from a procedure/surgery, pressure or bed sores acquired in the hospital, and catheter-related bloodstream infections acquired in-hospital. Healthgrades’ analysis also revealed that patients treated in hospitals receiving the Healthgrades 2023 Patient Safety Excellence Award were, on average:
61.4%% less likely to experience an in-hospital fall resulting in hip fracture, than patients treated at non-recipient hospitals*
52.7% less likely to experience a collapsed lung resulting from a procedure or surgery in or around the chest, than patients treated at non-recipient hospitals*
66.1% less likely to experience pressure sores or bed sores acquired in the hospital, than patients treated at non-recipient hospitals*
67.3% less likely to experience catheter-related bloodstream infections acquired in the hospital, than patients treated at nonrecipient hospitals*
When it comes to choosing healthcare, quality saves lives, which is why Healthgrades is committed to delivering the most scientifically accurate and comprehensive information about doctors and hospitals — with data insights not available anywhere else. To that end, it's important for consumers to know that if all hospitals, as a group, performed similarly to the 2023 Patient Safety Award recipients, on average, 95,880 patient safety events could have been avoided.*
“Through our 2023 Patient Safety Excellence Awards, we seek to recognize hospitals that excel in providing top-quality care for their patients while preventing serious injuries during hospital stays,” said Brad Bowman, MD, Chief Medical Officer and head of Data Science, Healthgrades. “We are proud to name HCA Florida North Florida Hospital as a 2023 Patient Safety Excellence Award recipient and look forward to their continued efforts to make patient safety a top priority.”
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Melanie Shore Appointed as Public Member on Florida Bar Board of Governors
The Florida Supreme Court has appointed Melanie Shore, APR, of Gainesville as a public member of The Florida Bar Board of Governors. Since 1987, two public members have served on the Bar's 52-member governing board, after the Supreme Court of Florida approved the organization's request to have nonlawyer representation on the board. Only 12 other state bar associations have public members on their governing boards. The Board of Governors oversees the Bar's lawyer discipline program, continuing legal education programs, legislative activities, and the overall administration of The Florida Bar. Shore will replace Joseph "Jody" D. Hudgins, Naples, whose second two-year term expires June 2023.
Shore is Senior Vice President and Private Banker with Seacoast Bank. She has been a banker for over 30 years. A native of Lakeland, she is a graduate of Western Carolina University with a BSBA in Marketing/Management. She is accredted through the Florida Public Relations Association and has received the designation of APR(Accredited Public Relations professional). She is a graduate of Leadership Gainesville and Leadership Florida. Shore has been a president, board member and campaign chair for United Way of Alachua County, and served many years on the United Way of Florida Board of Directors.
She currently serves on the board of The Community Foundation of North Central Florida, and is a past board chair. She is a University of Florida Performing Arts emeriti board member, a past president of the WUFT Friends of Five Board of Trustees and The Education Foundation of Alachua County. She is a board member of the Board of Trustees at North Florida Medical Center and recently completed a threeyear term on the Citizens Advisory Committee of The Florida Bar, and also serves on the Greater Gainesville Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors.
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Gainesville Chamber Orchestra To Perform April 14th and 15th
GET YOUR TICKETS NOW FOR MEREDITH WILLSON’S THE MUSIC MAN
FRIDAY, APRIL 14 @ 7:30 P.M.
SATURDAY, APRIL 15 @ 7:30 P.M.
SANTA FE COLLEGE JACKSON N. SASSER FINE ARTS HALL
Enjoy classic songs including “76 Trombones,” “Till there was You” and “Goodnight My Someone” during this quintessential musical celebration of community which will be the official staged, concert version of this award-winning, iconic American musical. Guest artists from Broadway will collaborate with local actors in bringing River City, Iowa, to the Gainesville Orchestra.
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Dale Carnegie Class To Start May 16th
The Dale Carnegie University was developed by one of the most successful people of the 20th century and will teach you how to build trust and motivate people, to project an enthusiastic attitude, and to communicate logically, clearly, and concisely.
Sign up for this class and it will help you energize and engage listeners. You will also learn how to become a better leader, manage stress, and minimize worry while encouraging positive thinking and achieving continuous improvement.
Our classes start May 16, 2023 and only a dozen seats remain, so if you want to start your journey to success, you have to register now.
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Newly Renovated Albert "Ray" Massey Park Playground To Celebrate Completion
The City invites you to join them for a ribbon-cutting ceremony and celebration!
The City of Gainesville’s Wild Spaces & Public Places program and the Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs Department would like to invite our neighbors to celebrate the completion of the Albert "Ray" Massey Park Playground. The ceremony will be held in the park’s pavilion adjacent to the playground.
Come enjoy the newly renovated play area, inspired by the NW 8th Avenue Solar Walk public art installation. The space-themed playground offers physical, social and sensory play experiences for children of all ages and abilities. The playground area now includes a restroom and lighting!
Friday, April 14
10 - 11 a.m.
Albert "Ray" Massey Park Playground
1001 NW 34th St.
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Did you know that as a member you can post your open job listings on our website?
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